"We have been in business for 15 years in Arizona," said Truong, a Chandler resident. "We have a lot of customers come from this side of town."

Truong said the Asian market attracts shoppers of all nationalities because of its international offerings.

Although Lee Lee stocks its shelves largely with such Asian fare as Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, products from Colombia, Russia, India and the Caribbean also can be found.

The market also provides an array of fresh produce, seafood swimming in tanks and baked goods.

Truong said the vacant Albertsons grocery store in Peoria made sense to site his second store. The market will be the major tenant at a strip mall.

"This location is more central for people on the west side," he said. "We know where the people are at."

As he stood in front of his store one day last week, several eager would-be customers drove by, only to discover it would be at least another two weeks before they could buy anything.

"My son has been waiting for you to open," one woman told Truong with a smile before driving off.

Truong said the Peoria market will be modeled after the one in Chandler, with the exception that it will have a restaurant offering such fare as Hong Kong-style cuisine.

Truong said he plans to open a third store in Tucson next year.

For Peoria, securing a tenant for an empty big box is good news. Two other big boxes, the old Wal-Mart downtown and a Henry's Farmers Market at 91st Avenue and Union Hills Road, are attracting interest but have no takers yet, according to Steve Bleyer, city economic-management analyst.

Bleyer, an avid cook, said he plans to pay a visit to Lee Lee when it opens.

"I do want to go to the market and get some new ideas and recipes," he said. "I'm really eager to see this one. My neighbor travels to Chandler on a monthly basis. She can't wait."